US Navy receives first F-35C fighter aircraft

Brahmand.com ^ | 11/11/2010 | Brahmand.com

[ErnstStavroBlofeld]

US Navy has received first stealth fighter F-35C Lightning II carrier variant, from Lockheed Martin, the company announced on Tuesday.

The aircraft departed from NAS Fort Worth Joint Reserve Base and arrived at Naval Air Station (NAS) Patuxent River, Maryland on Saturday at 04.31 pm GMT.

The aircraft has achieved successful air refuels at a maximum load of 19,800 pounds during the flight.

The F-35C will conduct air-to-air refueling and performance tests at Patuxent River.

The F-35 Lightning II is a 5th generation fighter aircraft, combining advanced stealth with fighter speed and agility, fully fused sensor information, network-enabled operations, advanced sustainment and lower operational and support costs.

[Huebolt]

Ft. Worth native BUMPS...

[ViLaLuz]

Cool. I saw the prototype at the last air show.

[LibLieSlayer]

“and lower operational and support costs”.

That will probably also prove to be false, as have most everything else that they promised... to sell this _________.

LLS

[SevenMinusOne]

Bad replacement. One engine, long hauls over water, all to save money. Dumb.

[The Magical Mischief Tour]

[Cobra64]

[A.A. Cunningham]

101106-N-0000X-001 PATUXENT RIVER, Md. (Nov. 6, 2010) The first F-35C Lightning II carrier variant, the U.S. Navy's first stealth fighter, arrived at Naval Air Station Patuxent River, Md. on Saturday, Nov. 6 at 2:37 p.m. EST. The aircraft, piloted by David "Doc" Nelson, departed Naval Air Station Fort Worth Joint Reserve Base at 11:31 a.m. EST and achieved successful air refuels at a maximum load of 19,800 pounds during the flight. At Patuxent River, the F-35C will conduct air-to-air refueling and performance testing. (Photo provided courtesy of Lockheed Martin/Released)

[ak267]

Helmet looks like it came out of Robotech

[Parley Baer]

To bad they did not name it the F-38. That would have been appropriate for its namesake the P-38 Lightning.

[SeeSharp]

Not the prettiest fighter we’ve ever built. I suppose it’s better then the F-4 but still, it just doesn’t tug at the heart strings like the F-22.

[ErnstStavroBlofeld]

I think its the “hot rod” of aviation.

[fuzzybutt]

Funny I was thinking that it was really pretty!

[DesScorp]

It’ll never see operational service. Look for the Navy to be more Super Hornets instead.

[American Constitutionalist]

The F-35 , the poor man’s F-22

[ArmstedFragg]

The real stealth fighter’s the third one in the photo. :-)

[Paul Ross]

Agreed.